Yes. A commercial lease may stipulate that the landlord has the right to establish rules or standards regarding the use and operation of the building and that the tenant must comply with them.
These regulations may relate in particular to access to the building and common areas, opening hours, security, parking, deliveries, use of elevators, waste management, signage as well as certain rules relating to the maintenance and use of the premises.
The lease may also allow the landlord to modify existing rules or adopt new ones during the term of the lease . It is therefore important to verify the extent of the power the lease grants the landlord in this regard.
However, the landlord's power to adopt or amend regulations should not allow them to indirectly modify the essential terms of the lease or to remove from the tenant rights that have been expressly granted to them.
For example, a new regulation should not normally be used to change the permitted use of the premises, to impose a new financial obligation not provided for in the lease, or to deprive the tenant of a right expressly provided for in the lease, unless the lease permits such a change.
The regulations must also be compatible with the lease and be applied in accordance with the landlord's obligations, including that of providing the tenant with the enjoyment of the premises.
When a lease allows the landlord to change the building's rules, it may be useful to stipulate that the new rules or changes to them must be reasonable, related to the operation, safety, or proper administration of the building, and communicated to the tenant.
Therefore, before signing a commercial lease, it is important to check not only the regulations attached to it, but also the provisions allowing the landlord to modify them or adopt new ones during the term of the lease.